An electronic cigarette (“e-cigarette” or “e-Cig”) is a device that emulates tobacco cigarette smoking by producing smoke replacement that may be similar to tobacco cigarette smoke in its physical sensation, general appearance, and sometimes flavor (i.e., with tobacco fragrance, menthol taste, added nicotine etc.). A battery portion of the e-Cig includes a controller and battery for powering the device and a cartomizer portion (i.e. cartomizer assembly) which generates an aerosol mist (i.e. vapor) that is a replacement for cigarette smoke. The cartomizer may use heat, ultrasonic energy, or other means to atomize/vaporize a liquid solution (for example based on propylene glycol, or glycerin, for example including taste and fragrance ingredients) into an aerosol mist. The liquid solution may be similar to nebulizer or humidifier vaporizing solutions for inhalation. The component in the cartomizer that generates the mist (as used herein aerosol generating component) is sometimes referred to as the cartomizer itself. The cartomizer typically includes a space (as used herein “liquid storage space”) that contains the required fluid or liquid (e.g. e-Liquid) used for generating the mist and another space (as used herein “airflow space”) for airflow. The e-Liquid can be absorbed or held in a sponge which is disposed in the storage space. Transferring the e-Liquid from its storage space to the airflow space wherein the e-Liquid is subsequently heated can cause the density of the e-Liquid to decrease, and these factors together with the air flow triggered by the inhalation of a user provide challenges in automation of the cartomizer assembly.
In order to create the storage space, the airflow space, and a separation therebetween, the cartomizer can include flexible parts, self-disintegrating parts, and uneven parts. These characteristics may become accentuated at the components' extremities such as the extremities of a wick, or a coil, etc., which may hinder and even altogether preclude the possibility for an automated assembly process of forming the cartomizer. Even in the presence of machines that produce subassemblies of several components together, the general assembly process of the cartomizer may be based on human intervention that can deal with the various characteristics of the components thereof.